Spring 2017 CACREP Connection

Council for Accreditation and Counseling

orange checkmarkChair’s Report

Dear Colleagues,


A few highlights include:My term on the CACREP Board comes to an end in July, wrapping up fives years of service, the last two years as Chair. It’s amazing how quickly the time has passed. It’s likewise remarkable how much has been accomplished by the CACREP staff and the Board of Directors during that time.

  • Development and implementation of the 2016 CACREP Standards
  • CORE/CACREP affiliation and merger agreements
  • Development and publication of numerous resources for faculty and programs, including guiding statements on faculty credentials and program evaluation, as well as a series of accreditation mini-manuals
  • Strengthening of accreditation through the addition of staff and improvements to review processes
  • Publication of the book “A Guide to Graduate Programs in Counseling”

All of this (and more) was accomplished while managing the day-to-day activities of accrediting approximately 780 programs (including 180 that were added in the past five years). It is wonderful to note that CACREP has provided this kind of service to the profession for decades and will continue to do so for decades to come!

In July, Dr. Kelly Coker will enter as the 13th Chair of the CACREP Board of Directors. Dr. Coker’s expertise and judgment will serve CACREP and the counseling profession well; particularly as CACREP addresses some fairly weighty issues. A few examples are in order. It’s important to note that the items below are just three of the many issues currently being addressed by CACREP. Over the course of the next five years, CACREP will face dozens of issues of similar substance.

Competency Based Education: Higher education is rapidly changing. Some of these changes, like the introduction of competency based education, challenge fundamental assumptions about what education is and how it should be delivered. CACREP has formed a joint task force with ACES to explore the potential impact of competency based education on counseling programs. Among other things, this task force will actively engage the counseling community by gathering important feedback and context around CBE. The recommendations from this task force will allow CACREP to make informed decisions about how competency based education fits within the context of program accreditation. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with ACES on this project!

Program Candidacy: CACREP’s Internal Process Committee (IPC) is exploring options for a program candidacy status. As increasing numbers of states require CACREP accreditation for licensure, it’s important that CACREP have policies in place that allow for the recognition of new counseling programs. Currently the only option for formal recognition from CACREP is accreditation after programs have graduates. Program candidacy will allow new programs to receive recognition from CACREP from the start so that they can compete in an equitable manner with existing accredited programs. There is work left to do before we are ready to introduce program candidacy, but a great deal of progress has been made and we are hoping to introduce this option in the coming year.

CORE/CACREP Merger: The most significant change CACREP will face over the coming months is the merger with the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE). This merger is years in the making and the outcome of many hours of work on the parts of both CORE and CACREP. The impact of the merger is profound. Not only will the merger result in CACREP accreditation for rehabilitation counseling programs (opening numerous opportunities for employment in federal settings for graduates of these programs), the merger will also ensure that rehabilitation standards are embedded in CACREP’s core curriculum standards in ways that better prepare all counselors to serve individuals with disabilities. Recognizing the importance of a smooth transition, CACREP and CORE are working closely to ensure open communication between organizations and with the rehabilitation counseling community.

When I interviewed for a position with the CACREP Board of Directors I was told it was a “working Board.” I have found this to be absolutely true: a working Board with an incredibly supportive and hard-working staff. Beyond hard work, I believe that CACREP’s effectiveness is the result of a common sense of vision, great relations between the Board and the staff, and the steady leadership of Dr. Carol Bobby, who has served as CACREP’s CEO & President for over 30 years.

When you get a chance, I hope you will take a moment to join with me in thanking both the Board and staff for their extraordinary dedication and service to our profession!

Warmest Regards,

Jeff Parsons

Spring 2017

IN THIS ISSUE…

Chair’s Report

Accreditation Decisions

ACA Activities

Articles

Board Changes

New Guiding Statement

Policy Revisions

ACCREDITATION DECISIONS

The CACREP Board met in Tucson January 5-7, 2017 to make accreditation decisions.

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Accreditation Decisions

The CACREP Board met in Tucson January 5-7, 2017 to make accreditation decisions.
Read more >>

ACA Activities

Please take note of CACREP’s sessions at the conference:

  • Counselor Education in CACREP-Accredited Programs: Current Issues and Information (Program ID #181)
    Friday, March 17, 3-4:00 pm — Room 2002
  • An Introduction to and Overview of the 2016 CACREP Standards (Program ID #277)
    Saturday, March 18, 1-2:30pm — Room 2006

ARTICLES

Application Due Dates and Extension Requests

The Spring 2008 CACREP Connection newsletter included an article entitled, “Be Careful What You Ask For (you might not get it).” In the article, CACREP President and CEO, Dr. Carol Bobby, articulated the challenges associated with a growing number of programs requesting extensions of accredited status and drew a sharp contrast between requests based on extraordinary circumstances and those based on “the dog ate my homework” explanations. The majority of the requests at the time fell into this latter category. As is often the case, history tends to repeat itself. CACREP is again experiencing an increasing number of requests for extensions. Read more >>

CACREP’s Requirements for Program Websites

One of the tasks that the CACREP takes on each fall is a check of our accredited programs’ websites. This probably makes us something of an expert on trends in college and university website design, but we don’t always easily find the items we need to see on your website. We’d like to go through the information that needs to be posted on your program’s website as it relates to the CACREP Standards and Policies. The purpose of publically posting this information is not to report this data to CACREP [again], but to inform prospective students and the public about your program. Read more >>

BOARD CHANGES

Each January meeting brings changes to the CACREP Board. This was the final meeting for Chair Jeffrey Parsons and members J. Barry Mascari, and Chanel Tazza, although their terms will continue through June 30, 2017. Elected at this meeting are three new Board Members. Suzanne Dugger is a counselor educator at the University of Mississippi, and Jacqueline Smith is a counselor educator at Regent University. Our new practitioner member is Latrina Raddler, a clinical mental health counselor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Board will also have new officers beginning July 1, 2017. The Chair-elect is Kelly Coker, incoming Vice-chair is Vilia Tarvydas, and the new Treasurer is Patrick Millmore.

NEW GUIDING STATEMENT

Guiding Statement on Best Practices in Transfer of Credit

The CACREP Board completed a survey last spring on transfer of credit at institutions with CACREP-accredited programs. As a result of feedback from that survey, a Guiding Statement was developed for programs who have concerns about this process and may be looking for some suggestions.
Read the document >>

POLICY REVISIONS

Several policies were revised at the January Board meeting. Policy 4.b Publicizing Accreditation Status and Use of CACREP Logo was revised to reflect the use of the Certification Mark instead of the CACREP Logo.

The Board revised both Policy 8.d Adding Programs During an Accreditation Cycle and Policy 8.e Substantive Change in an Accredited Program to reflect a change in the way that changes in online delivery methods are reviewed. If a currently accredited program makes a change that involves a 100% change in delivery method, it much be reviewed as a new program under Policy 8.d Adding Programs During an Accreditation cycle. A new document, a Guiding Statement on Submitting a Substantive Change Report or an Application to Add A Specialty Area or Program During an Accreditation Cycle: A guide for making the decision was adopted to help programs decide the best review options. The Policy Document reflects all updated policies.